@erik_squires Kali Audio Independence and Low Pine Series. KEF LS50 Wireless, KEF LSX II LT and CODA Wireless, Palmer Orbit, Klipsch 5/ 7/9,
All the above can be gotten for $1500 and below and sound fantastic
Are active speakers worth it now?
I've been paying attention to recent reviews and product announcements for active speakers. Mind you, I'm a convert, I think active speakers are the right answer for many, but I'm a conditional fanboy. For me it's conditional on the overall value.
In the residential high-end ATC has long been a darling of audiophiles, and of course many studio monitors are active. Recent reviews for the Grimm, Focal and Dynaudio active in Stereophile make me hopeful this trend will continue, but at what cost?
That question is literal. Admittedly these speakers have amps built in so that is one less component and cables to buy, but ahem, those prices leave me unimpressed. I'm just one minor voice though, so I ask you, A'goners, if you've been thinking of going fully active like me and what do you think of the price/performance of the marketplace, both in the pro arena and residential high-end? Do these prices say "bargain" to you or "simplicity for a price?"
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For me the right question was: is active speakers+active subs integrated are worth it if we know how to optimize them in a room ? The answer was : Hell yes ! Edifier use class D with very good effect at one important condition.
If you go plug and play, the result is and will be mediocre...( anyway as i already said optimization, mechanical,electrical,acoustical,DSP, is absolutely mandatory for any system/room.) If you optimize the Edifier system/room the result is very good.... I spoke for those listening in near-field conditions... My cost is so ridiculously low even taking into account my optimization devices ( many LPS, many filters+buffers, tube pre-amp, galvanic isolator, DDC, many Schumann generators, add a dac + headphone amp+low cost various headphones, i cannot be happier with a system lower than 1000 bucks... I dont count my main headphone the AKG K340 + Sansui Alpha amplifier dedicated to it... Class D is one of the greatest innovation in engineering audio... |
I think an important factor is the mindset of the buyer. My son is very impressed by my systems, but it is just 'too complicated' for him. He can digest tons of info on ski equipment, but not audio. Just a fact. So when he wanted a system for his new home, all of my suggestions were ignored (and I was advocating a one box system!). He decided independently on a pair of KEF LS 60's. He loves them and they don't sound bad. Note this decision was not due to savings on PC's, interconnects and components. He simply wanted it simple. Now I just need him to stream directly to the app vs bluetooth! He can hear it. |
@erik_squires An active speaker is giving all your freedoms away. Don't become subservient like that. You need to have the freedom to use your own amps, not some class Diddly reek board sitting in there. Go one step further and reclaim even more freedom from the speaker manufacturer. Tell him, "Its not me, its you, your passive crossover sounds lousy. So, give me a button to bypass it" And voila....now you can run your own active crossover, run your own amps for each driver, biamp, triamp, mmmm...even more freedom Say no to subservience and active speakers...Stay free in the square, shire... Enrique.
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